FIFA clears referee accused of making racist gesture Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYTue, June 16, 2026 at 12:44 AM UTC 0 FIFA has cleared referee Shaun Evans of wrongdoing after he was accused of making a racist gesture prior to Sunday&x27;s game between Germany and Curaçao. Evans was shown in the video referee studio with his hand by his side in the "OK" symbol, which has been associated with white supremacy. In a statement, the Australian referee said that the gesture was an "involuntary, subconscious twitch.
FIFA clears referee accused of making racist gesture
Seth Vertelney, USA TODAYTue, June 16, 2026 at 12:44 AM UTC
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FIFA has cleared referee Shaun Evans of wrongdoing after he was accused of making a racist gesture prior to Sunday's game between Germany and Curaçao.
Evans was shown in the video referee studio with his hand by his side in the "OK" symbol, which has been associated with white supremacy.
In a statement, the Australian referee said that the gesture was an "involuntary, subconscious twitch."
"I would like to clarify that I did not intentionally make a hand gesture or symbol to communicate a message, affiliation, game or belief of any kind," Evans said.
"The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time. Images taken later during the match showed that I repeated this movement many times while holding a pen between my fingers. The coverage following this incident simply does not reflect who I am.
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"Of course, I understand how the gesture has been interpreted and I regret this, however I want to be very clear and categorically say that I did not knowingly or deliberately make the hand symbol suggested. Officiating at the World Cup is the biggest honor of my career and I look forward to supporting my colleagues for the rest of the tournament."
After investigating the incident, FIFA said that it found no evidence of wrongdoing, noting the statement from Evans.
"FIFA's independent Disciplinary Committee can confirm that, after looking into the matter involving support video assistant referee Shaun Evans, it has found no evidence of breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. The Disciplinary Committee has also taken note of Mr Evans' statement," FIFA's Disciplinary Committee said in a statement.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) designated the "OK" gesture as a hate symbol in 2019. But the organization also cautioned that those who use it are not always expressing white supremacy.
"Because of the traditional meaning of the 'OK' hand gesture, as well as other usages unrelated to white supremacy, particular care must be taken not to jump to conclusions about the intent behind someone who has used the gesture," the ADL said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Referee Shaun Evans cleared by FIFA of making racist gesture
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Source: Sports
Published: June 16, 2026 at 04:27AM on Source: RED MAG
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